Dark shades of King's memories
by Yorkistgirl
Summary: At one night King Richard III drinks a magic potion which will take him into Wonderland of his dark memories
1. Golden cup of poison

A servant was holding a golden cup on a silver tray, this drink was meant for only to the King.

With steady steps a young boy walked through the busy kitchen area and climbed up the stone stairs which led to the throne room.

As soon as the boy reached the top of the stairs warm light of the candles, merry music and laughter greeted him. King Richard was celebrating with his peers and they were enjoying their feast. Jesters were entertaining the King and his guests with their tricks, while the servants served their master.

There had been much of salt in the King Richard's roast so he had asked some more of wine.

Since the order came directly from the King himself the royal cupbearer who had sworn the oath of loyalty to the King prepared the drink.

However he was an old man so his knees were not as good as they used to be so the boy had to deliver the drink instead. All the other servants were busy with their doings so no one saw how the boy dropped some drops of his own liqueur into the wine to gain some extra flavour.

Two old women had paid him quite handsomely if he would put some drops of their own homemade potion to the King Richard's drink.

The boy had agreed and took the purse of gold and flask of potion from the women.

He had not sworn loyalty to the King and in fact he hated Richard so he felt no remorse after he had poured two drops of the black liquid in to the wine.

When he reached the King he bowed slightly and passed the tray at him.

- Thank you Peter, the King thanked.

Peter was slightly amazed, Richard knew his name when most the castle's staff didn't even cared to know his name.

King Richard rocked the cup gently in his hand while he watched the silly performance of the jesters.

- Drink it your wretched King, Peter thought in his bitter mind.

The jesters were putting on incredibly comic show which had made Richard to forget his thirst for moment. He just held the cup irritatingly in his hand and was not even near to drink it.

- Is there something wrong, Richard asked when he saw the boy still standing near at him.

- Eh, nothing your grace, I just thought that you would like to have something else too.

- No thank you Peter you may leave now.

Why he had to be so hideously polite towards to him?!

Peter started to walk away slowly and at the throne room's door he looked over his shoulder and saw how the King took the cup to his lips and took a drink.

A triumphant smile appeared to Peter's face when retired to the shadowy part of the castle.

He had succeeded and now he needed to disappear before anyone could notice what he had done to the King Richard.

Richard drank the cup empty and focused to watch the show again.

His jesters were always good for laugh and tonight they had put on the best show he had ever seen.

Now when one of them was juggling with wooden tenpins he showed remarkable skills.

The tenpins flew high and higher in the air when the jester was juggling with them.

Then the tenpins started to lose their normal shape.

Was this part of the show, Richard wasn't quite sure but he felt a gross feeling in his gut when he took a closer look of those tenpins.

The tenpins moved now even more rapidly and they broke out from their old shape. The wooden structure was replaced with flesh and blood and under that wooden shell hatched out human heads.

The heads were all in blood which was still steaming from warmth. Horrid expression still lingered on those dead faces which he recognised. That jester was juggling with the heads of his father, brother Edmund and Salisbury!

Fresh blood splashed all over the throne room and nobody seemed to notice it.

The peers laughed at the witty jester whose hands were as red as the executioner's.

The gory show made Richard's face to grow pale and he cried aloud the jester to stop that grotesque performance of his.

The jester stopped at once and looked puzzled like the rest of the guests.

Cold sweat was running down on Richard's cheeks and he looked again those loose heads which the jester was still holding in his hands but now they were tenpins again.

What was going on?

Heavy silence fell to the room and the sickening feeling in Richard's stomach grew more intense.

He wiped his face on his sleeve and his hands were shaking.

He needed to get out and have some of fresh air, the wine was obviously going into his head already.

- My dear comrades I must announce to you that although the night is still young your King will now retire. Good night, he announced and got up onto his feet.

All of his guest rose up too and looked at him worried.

Richard's legs were also shaking and after two steps he fell down.

His servants ran quickly to his aid and someone started to call for doctor.

Richard tried to get up from the floor but he had totally lost the control of his body.

He felt that all his joints and vanished and he was as helpless as a newborn baby.

The room around him started to spin violently faster and faster until it was all melange.

Different shapes and colours mixed together although it was completely absurd. Shadows ate all the lights away until it was only pitch black darkness around him.

He trembled in fear and he wanted to cry for help but invisible force pushed him down and blocked his mouth.

All the noises faded away bit by bit leaving him in mute darkness which was cold and dead.


	2. Meeting Francis

Richard felt that he was falling. He didn't like about one bit and he wanted it to stop. He tried to get something which to hold on but his hands reached only thin air. Then strong electrical impulse pierced his body and made him to stiffen. For a moment he was blind and deaf and felt only tearing pain but soon it released him.

Suddenly hard ground hit him like a horseman's hammer and he reached the end of his fall.

His body was aching so much that he didn't date to move at all, he wanted to cry for pain but his voice got stuck in his throat.

Richard didn't know how long he lied immobile at the bottom of the dark pit, he had lost his sense of time completely.

He felt himself like a dead body which was lying on the bottom of its grave, this idea horrified him and he wanted to prove himself that this was not true!

After some time he tried to move his fingers and although they were as much in pain as the rest of his body they made a small movement.

Then he tried to move his legs and they also moved.

Richard closed his eyes and made a deep sigh he was alright more or less.

Slowly he got himself into sitting position and reached onto the left side of the darkness.

For his surprise his fingers touched at hard surface of a stone wall.

He crawled slowly nearer to the wall and explored its damp and cold surface.

Some of the stones seemed to be loose when he touched them and when he scratched some mortar off from the meetings he saw a blink of light.

There was light on the other side of the darkness!

Without of caring his aching body Richard started to push and hit the stones which were on his way to freedom. Eventually the wall gave up and crumbled down.

The light was so bright that it almost blinded Richard and it was followed by the warmth of the sun.

When his eyes had adjusted to the light he was able to see his new surroundings more pedantically.

He was in a rose garden and the wall which he had broken was just an old garden wall.

Richard crawled out from the darkness into bright sunshine which was full of white roses.

He straitened himself up and looked again this amazing garden.

All the roses were as white as snow and carefully tended.

Beautiful stone maidens guarded silently the garden while Richard walked aimlessly on its grounds.

Butterflies flew above the roses drinking their nectar and then continuing their endless trip.

The place was so wonderful and peaceful that Richard wanted to stay in there for all time.

Intoxicating scent of roses floated heavily in the air and he just wanted to lie down and close his eyes.

Then suddenly he heard a distant bark of a dog. He waited it to go away and leave him in peace but the dog kept on barking. It wasn't about to go away no matter how much he wished it to leave him alone. Richard started to walk towards the source of the barking. The garden continued on and on and for a moment he thought that he was walking in a circle but then he saw the front gate of the garden. On the other side of the metallic gate was a dog which coat was silver grey.

The dog barked furiously at him but when he got closer it suddenly stopped.

- What, Richard asked but the dog stayed silent.

What was he thinking, of course the dogs didn't talk to men, was he crazy when he had assumed something that absurd?

Richard was about to turn away but then the dog started again.

- Why can't you just shut up?

The gaze in dog's brown eyes was appealing and it started to scrape the gate with its paw.

- Do you want to get in here?

The dog barked and took few steps back.

Richard walked to the gate although his legs were as heavy as lead.

The soporific scent of the roses pushed heavily his eyelids, so heavily that he almost fell asleep during his walk to the gate.

The dog started to bark again and hearing its sudden voice woke Richard up.

He laid his hand on the gate and opened it.

When he stepped out from the garden the air around him grew suddenly much colder and the green grass carped under him turned to ashes.

Richard was fully awake now and he looked around of himself puzzled, where the lovely rose garden had vanished? The scene around him was plain and desolate like the valley of death.

- It was very unfair from those witches to use your own rose against you, the dog pointed out bitterly.

Richard screamed in terror and backend away from the dog, did he had just heard it talking?

- Calm now my friend don't be afraid of me. I'm not here to harm you, the dog hurried to explain.

- What? What is this madness?!

- Madness indeed, they are doing they very best to destroy your sanity in here.

- Whom?

- Elizabeth Woodville and her conspirator Lady Margaret.

- You mean that…?

- Aye, this is their doing.

Richard looked once more the world around of him and there were just plain grey sand dunes as far as his eyes could see.

- Oh God, he whispered.

- Don't be despaired Dickon, I'm here to help you.

Richard looked at the dog, what he had just called him?

- What did you call me?

- Dickon, that's how I have always called you.

- Do I know you?

- Aye, we are the best friends.

He lowered himself on the level of the dog's eyes and looked at him carefully.

- Francis?

- Aye?

Richard embraced the dog and thanked the almighty in his mind that he had at least one friend in this place of solitude.


	3. Wonderous world of mind

- Where on earth are we, Richard asked and got onto his feet.

- You tell me, this is your mind the core of your inner being. Everything in here is possible and I must now ask you how well you do know your own mind, replied Francis.

- I think I know well my own thoughts.

- This is not about reasonable thinking my friend in here the sanity is an alien thing which has no power on anything. In here things are what they want to be with their own right, since the witches had made a good spell to break the thin line between sanity and madness.

- I don't understand, what are you saying?

- I'm just warning you about the dangers which are ahead of you since there is no order in this world.

- Hmm, it's like heading towards a battle then?

- Aye, pretty much the same. Kill or be killed. Your survival will be vital to you since if you don't survive in here you may never go back to the reality.

Francis' words made Richard to shiver, it would now depend on him completely if he was going to wake himself up from this nightmare.

- So I am risking everything in here?

- Aye.

- Will you be with me?

- As long as I can but some things you must face yourself.

- Sounds fair enough how we will proceed from here on?

- This land is completely made from your memories so grasp on one of them and then we'll take a course.

- What memory should I choose?

- It doesn't matter, any kind of memory which will make your happy since darkness is not too far away.

Richard closed his eyes and concentrated. He returned into Ludlow castle in his memories and soon he felt how the change started to happen. Ash dunes vanished away and red carpet with golden embroidery covered the ground. Thick stone walls came through the red cloth like mushrooms reaching high for the sky. There was no symmetry or sense in the way how they were, they just were as they pleased like they would have had a mind of their own.

Then a bunch of different kinds of objects crawled also up from the ground. There were enormous chess pieces, dices, wooden horses, playing cards, toy knights, marbles which were twice as big as cannonballs, tennis rackets and horseshoes.

- I feel myself awfully tiny, Richard whispered when he was walking in this twisted castle bailey of gigantic objects.

- You tell me, Francis replied.

Then after a curve they faced a massive blockade of spider web.

The spider was nowhere to be seen and Richard had no desire of seeing it since the spider who had made that huge web must had been a size of a horse.

- What shall we do now?

- Let's go through it.

- How we will get stuck like flies.

- Hmm, perhaps we could cut the way through of this.

- On what?

- Look around you Dickon, you got everything you need.

Francis was right, the spider's web could easily be broken when he would just use the proper tools.

Richard looked carefully all the enormous things which he saw all around of him. He had no idea how durable the web would be so he needed to find something heavy and powerful.

Then he saw a horse shoe that would be a good thing since it was full metal and heavy, if he could only get it on move.

He measured the possibility in his mind and decided to try.

Richard climbed on the battlement by using a tennis racket as a ladder and then he pushed the horse shoe. It was awfully heavy but not too heavy to be moved.

Richard pushed the horse shoe as hard as he could and finally he managed to push it on move.

The round shoe rolled through the web destroying it completely and the way was open.

Then a piercing scream sliced the air and a black spider appeared.

The spider was bigger than a horse and it had a face of Lady Margaret's except it was more horrid looking and it had eight coal black eyes.

When the spider saw them it attacked.

Richard jumped down from the battlement onto the back of one toy knight. The wooden marionette fell down by the sudden impact of Richard's and it fell directly over the spider.

However the spider wasn't about to give up it crawled out under the wooden toy and was about to grasp on Richard.

Then Francis jumped at it and sunk his teeth on one of the legs of the spider.

Faster than lightning Richard found himself anew weapon.

A wooden sword had fell from the knight's hand and he took it, although the sword was made from wood it was a sharp as a toothpick.

Without of hesitation he jumped at the spider and pierced its hairy black body with his sword.

The spider screamed in pain and died.

- That was close, Francis pointed out since the spider had just been about to bite his paw.

- Are you hurt?

- No, thank you my friend.

- Any time.

- Richard the spider killer, Francis said and they both laughed.

Richard tied the wooden sword onto his waist he knew that it might become handy in the future and he was right. This wasn't the only monster which he would face on his journey to the reality.


	4. Door towards freedom

Richard noticed that on each step the scenery around him changed again. The cozy feeling of Ludlow was slowly crumbling away and the shadows around him grew darker.

Walls around him started to crack and decay while the gigantic objects turned into dust.

- What is happening?

- New challenge is about to begin and you must be on your guard.

- What it might be?

- Ask yourself.

Richard thought for awhile, although Ludlow had been dear place to him it also included some darker memories. Hardly he had finished his thoughts when the black clouds above of him opened their mouths and white snowflakes started to cover the dead ground.

He knew this field or at least the memory which connected to it. Dark nightmares of his father's death had haunted him for years and now they were brought back as fresh as on at that fateful December's day at 1460.

Suddenly the ground started to shake violently. Richard lost his balance and fell down.

Then he saw how a rotten corpse of a knight climbed up under the snow and when that repulsing creature looked at him he saw that it had his father's face.

Soon all around of him an army of undead dukes of York climbed up under the snow blanket and pulled out of their swords.

- Dickon remember that this is not true, this is not what have happened, this is just an illusion, Francis tried to talk Richard out from his fear.

But Richard was stricken by fear and he stayed still like a stone.

Freezing fist of fear squeezed him so hard that he was unable to breath.

The zombies approached and unnatural glow of bloodlust shined in their dead eyes.

- Dickon please listen to me this nightmare is not your creation your father would have never harmed you. Find a happy memory of your father and be quick!

Then one of the zombies was about to hit Richard when he was suddenly released from the tight grip of fear.

- It was my birthday when I saw my father coming back from exile. We all were so happy for his return and I prayed him not to leave me anymore. It was the best gift he had ever given to me.

The power of his happy thought was enough to crush the evil spell which had created those zombies and they all turned into snow.

Black clouds sailed away and sun shoved his face at them.

The snow melted away and the dead ground came back to life again.

- Well done my friend I knew you could do it, Francis congratulated him.

- It was foolish to let the fear control me, Richard confessed.

- Indeed if that will happen again we all will be doomed, so don't let yourself be afraid of anything.

- I'm truly sorry Francis, it will not happen again.

- Good.

The plants around of him grew up amazingly fast and soon Richard and Francis were deep inside of woods. Verdant oaks reached greedily towards the sky and it was little gloomy at the forest's floor but it didn't mind Richard.

After they had walked for awhile Richard head a sound of running water there had to be a spring somewhere close.

This trip had made him to be quite thirsty and he started to walk towards the sound of the water.

Soon he found the most fresh and clear watered fountain he had ever seen.

When looked at it he saw that the water was coming from thin air instead from ground.

There also grew a lot of mushrooms around the fountain which also seemed bit bizarre to Richard.

He had never seen such of bright colored mushrooms or so big ones.

- Ave brother, he heard some one saying.

Richard looked around himself and saw no one.

- Will you not greet your brother, the voice asked.

- Where are you?

- Right here Dickon, follow my voice.

Richard did so and then he saw a face of a young man in one of the tree trunks.

- Long time no see Dickon, the face said and smiled.

Richard knew this young man, he was his brother Edmund!

- Don't be surprised my dear brother I want to help you out.

- How?

- The shortest way out from this world goes through the Sun Emperor and I know how to get there.

- Please tell me.

- You see those blue mushrooms? Take some of them with you and then take a drink from that fountain.

Richard took few blue mushrooms and without of any thoughts he made a cup from his hands and drank the refreshing water.

The liquid tasted bit sweet like there would have been a bit of sugar in it.

Then he felt the change again only this time it happened inside of himself instead of his surroundings.

The trees, grass, flowers and mushrooms grew bigger and bigger while Richard shrunk.

- Oh my goodness, he marveled.

- You should know by now that it's not always good to stuff everything in to your mouth and especially in here. Nothing is what it seems but sometimes small size can work for you advantage, Francis pointed out.

He was right again since now Richard saw a little door beside of one oak's roots.

He walked to the door and looked at Francis.

- Will you not come?

- No but don't worry I'll wait you on the other side. And besides, there is one other who will help you when you'll need help.

- Who?

- Let's say that this place where you are about to go is big enough for a rat.

- A rat?!

- Aye.

Well if he had to ask help from a rat then so be it, Richard thought.

- Thank you Edmund you have always been a good brother to me, Richard thanked.

- Don't thank me yet since this road also has its dangers waiting for you, Edmund pointed out and Richard heard a slight sound of sadness in his voice.

- Good bye my friend, Francis said and padded away.

- Bye Edmund.

- Bye Dickon.

Then tiny Richard opened the door and vanished under the ground.


	5. Dark shades of memory

Richard walked in a dark tunnel which seemed to go deeper and deeper inside of the ground.

Damp scent of earth surrounded him but he walked on.

He tried to listen to possible sounds but the darkness was silent, far too silent.

Then he hit on something and fell onto his stomach.

- Watch your steps he heard an angry warning.

- I'm terribly sorry, Richard apologized and tried to get up.

- Your grace, is that really you, asked the voice.

- Who wants to know, Richard asked and fumbled the creature on front of him.

It was hairy all over and it seemed to have round ears, sharp shaped nose and whiskers.

This creature was a mouse no a rat!

- Ratcliffe my lord. It's me Ratcliffe!

- Thank goodness for a moment I thought that I had faced another blood lustful monster.

Then he felt how Ratcliffe sniffed and touched him slightly with his whiskers.

- It's so good to see you my noble lord!

- I wish I could say the same but it's so dark in here.

- Don't you worry my lord I'll show you the way in darkness.

- It is said that it's always darkest just before the dawn. Are we heading towards the light?

- Yes my lord, just take a firm grip of my tail and follow me.

Richard squeezed his fist around the end of Ratcliffe's tail and then they continued their journey.

- Are you sure about the direction since we seem to walk still deeper instead of heading towards the surface?

- Yes my lord just trust on me and everything will be fine.

- I do trust on you but I have a bad feeling about this.

- This part of the road is the safest one since the witches can't quite reach at you while you are under the ground but as soon as we get out from here…, he left his sentence uneasily unfinished.

Richard took firmer grip on Ratcliffe's tail and tried not to think what kind of dangers laid ahead.

He had never liked to be in the dark since it always reminded him about the dungeons.

And when he thought about the dungeons his memories took him strait away to the Tower of London, the place of certain death.

Then suddenly Richard smelled a strong scent of sour wine.

He knew this wine quite well and it brought another painful memory into his mind, this wine was George's personal favorite.

The dark tunnel came to its end and Richard stepped out from the darkness with Ratcliffe.

Restless fire was burning on the torches and they were surrounded my enormous barrels of wine.

They were like dark guardians of the cellar who were not pleased to see Richard entering through a mouse hole.

There was also someone else in the cellar with them although Richard didn't see anyone behind the barrels.

It seemed that the other person had tasted a bit of the wine and now he was on merry mood.

His joyful laughter ended almost right away when Richard had entered to the cellar.

- I smell a rat in my cellar, he shouted and Richard recognized his voice that was George.

From experience Richard knew that it was risky to approach George when he was drunk and now when he was as small as a mouse it was extremely dangerous. Nevertheless he had to face George if he wanted to get out from this nightmare of his.

Richard peeked carefully behind the barrels and saw a big black ox.

The ox was drinking wine with greed and when his cup was empty he poured some more.

- I am no rat, he shouted as loud as he could.

- Then what are you, the ox asked with mocking voice.

- I am King!

- Hmm, so that's what you are. For a King you seem to be quite tiny and puny.

Had George seen him? No way, he was just bluffing since his feverish eyes kept on searching the source of the other voice.

Then at the other side of the chamber Richard saw a door if he would just stay behind of the row of barrels he could get close to the door without of being seen. George's moods changed quite violently and Richard didn't want to up set him since when George was drunk he was capable of doing anything.

- The size of a man doesn't tell you anything about the greatness of his achievements, Richard snapped and stayed in the shadows.

- Your grace, is it wise to talk with this beast, asked Ratcliffe.

- We need to get on to the other side of that door and if I don't confuse him he might start to look for us, Richard replied, keeping his voice low.

Then the ox got onto his back feet.

- I once knew a man who said the same exact words to me. Dickon! WHERE ARE YOU DICKON!

Richard and Ratcliffe started to run when George attacked furiously upon the barrels.

- Come out, come out my little brother I just want to see your face, SO I CAN CRUSH YOU LIKE A FLEA!

The sharp horns and strong fists smashed the barrels and soon the floor was waving with wine.

The door seemed to be miles away and the waves of wine got higher and higher.

- Let's drink to your health Dickon since soon you'll die!

The wine level got higher and soon it was like a stormy sea.

Floor vanished under Richard's feet and he sunk under the wine.

He struggled in the strong whirlpools while George laughed at him.

- THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO DIE DICKON SO LET'S GET MERRY BEFORE DROWNING!

Ratcliffe swam under Richard and helped him back to surface.

Richard spat wine out from his mouth and gasped.

Wine level kept on rising and rising while Richard and Ratcliffe swam towards the door.

Bit by bit it came closer but then George spotted them.

- SO THERE YOU ARE!

He rumbled towards of them and his violent movements made the sea of wine to churn even more.

- RATCLIFFE WE MUST GET OUT FROM HERE, Richard shouted.

- THE KEYHOLE, GO THROUGH THE KEYHOLE, Ratcliffe replied.

Richard reached towards the keyhole and he saw a bright light on the other side of it.

He took one more magic mushroom from his pocket and ate it, the mushroom made him to grow smaller still so he was able to get through.

The keyhole was narrow but it was just big enough for him to get through but it was too narrow for a rat.

- I GOT YOU NOW, George shouted and caught poor Ratcliffe.

- RATCLIFFE, Richard cried.

- GO DICKON SAVE YOURSELF!

- I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU BEHIND!

- JUST GO!

The huge fist of George's was reaching towards Richard but Ratcliffe bite him and it made him to scream in pain.

George threw Ratcliffe away from himself and he disappeared under the red waves.

- RATCLIFFE!

Then George turned his face back to Richard.

He had to act if he wanted to survive.

George reached towards him again but Richard dived through the keyhole.


	6. Mistress of the heights

Richard was falling again. The dark cellar with its disgusting stench of wine was left behind and he was embraced with blinding light. Richard covered his eyes since he was too scared to look where he was falling in to. He turned around in the air and managed to land onto his back and the surface where he fell onto was soft almost like a fur.

He was shaking in fear but eventually he forced himself to look at his new surroundings.

Richard was once again surrounded by gigantic buildings which all looked somehow familiar to him. The town around of him was a complex mixture of all the towns and cities where he had been. Some houses where from London, some from York and few from Middleham. Mental confusion refused to leave him alone and new quest was about to begin.

Then suddenly the soft fur under him moved and soon Richard saw a pair of green eyes of a cat.

He gasped in fear but the cat gave him a friendly smile.

- Perfect landing your grace, the cat congratulated him.

- Catesby?

- Yes your grace?

- Thank goodness it's you.

- Now your grace, take a firm grip on my fur and let's go. We have a long way to go.

Richard climbed onto the back of the cat and then they were on move.

Riding with a cat was totally new experience to Richard although it reminded lot about riding on a horse. The plurality of the long orange hair was so enormous that he almost drowned under them.

This reminded him little bit about walking in a wheat field at the time of harvest when the crop was ready to be scythed.

Richard tried to remember when he had walked through a wheat field or was this memory some one else's? No, it couldn't be he had a clear recollection of himself walking through a field of wheat when he had been much younger. He was able to feel the light touches of the straws against of his palms.

- What did happen at the cellar, I heard you screamed, asked Catesby.

- It was George, he tried to drown me and poor Ratcliffe helped me to escape.

- I see, you don't have to carry on your grace.

The streets of the town were empty and there was no life inside of the houses either. Deathly silence rested upon the town and it was scary.

Richard knew that the witches were waiting for him in the shadowy corners and they were ready to grasp on any shred of memory of his to turn it against him.

He tried to search happiness from that field of wheat since probably the witches were about to use that but Richard refused to let them to use his childhood's innocence against him.

Then he heard a distant shout of a hawk.

Had there been a hawk on that field, probably yes, Richard wasn't sure.

Catesby halted and gazed at the sky. Soon a little black spot at the sky grew larger and it turned out to be a hawk. As soon as the predator saw them it started to swoop at them.

Catesby started to run as fast as he could while Richard tried to stay with him.

Cold fear of getting killed pierced Richard and he pressed himself against Catesby's warm fur.

The hawk dived through the skies screaming and she reached her claws at them.

Richard looked over his shoulder and saw how the black curved claws were about to grasp on him.

Sensing the danger Catesby made a long jump and that saved them from the claws of the hawk.

The hawk wasn't about to give up and she flew higher just to make new attack.

- RICHARD DO SOMETHING, Catesby shouted in terror.

Richard looked at the hawk and saw how she approached at them like an arrow.

Then suddenly the face of the hawk started to transform. All the feathers and the beak vanished into thin air and the bald featureless head shaped into Elizabeth Woodville's face.

She was screaming like a demon when she reached her claws to Richard. Pure flames of hatred were burning in her eyes and she was just about to pierce Richard with her claws.

Richard reacted instinctually and pulled out of his wooden sword but it was no more made from wood it was now made from steel.

He hit at the black claws and that made Elizabeth to scream in pain and in frustration. The metallic blade had cut her claws and parts of her toes as well.

Warm blood spitted on Richard and he had to turn his face away from it.

- YOU CURSED SON OF YORK, she cried and flew back to the sky, bleeding.

Catesby changed the direction and ran into narrow side alley where they would be momentarily safe.

Richard hopped down from the back of Catesby and they stopped to catch their breaths.

- What did you do to her, your grace, asked Catesby.

- She almost grasped on us but then I clipped her claws, Richard replied.

This made Catesby laugh.

- Well done your grace!

- Thank you.

Then the scenery started to change again.

Empty houses of London, York and Middleham crumbled into dust and a high mountain of golden temple reached towards the sky from the ashes.

The mountain grew higher and higher until it literally reached the clouds, this was the home of the Sun Emperor.

Richard looked at this in amazement. The mountain was so high that it would take forever from him to climb on to the top of it.

- How I'll reach the top when I'm size of a flea?

- Hmm, try those, Catesby suggested and pointed with his paw a pile of small rocks near by.

When Richard approached those rocks they turned out to be small cakes.

He took one cake into his hand and took a bite.

New kind of wondrous energy filled his veins and he felt that he was growing taller.

He ate the whole cake and few more until he reached the height of 50 feet.

- Thank you so much for your help Catesby, he thanked.

- My pleasure your grace just don't step on my tail, said Catesby and padded away.

Richard looked at the mountain and started to climb.

Rocks on the mountain's side were sharp but his skin was now so thick that they didn't harm him.

The first steps of the journey were easy but eventually they got harder and harder.

Cold wind blew at him making him to shiver.

Few times a loose rock fell away under his foot but he managed to take a firm grip onto another rock.

Soon his bare hands were numb from the cold but he kept on climbing.

The wind blew harder and harder until it turned out to be a blizzard.

Eventually it was impossible to him to see any more because of the whirling snow.

However Richard kept on going until he reached the soft clouds.

Then his hand found the bottom step of a staircase and it helped him to navigate to the right direction.

Then he finally reached the end of the stairs and he had come to the golden temple of the Sun Emperor.


	7. Temple of the Sun Emperor

As soon as Richard laid his feet upon the golden floor he started to shrink. For a moment he was afraid that he would disappear but the shrinking ended when he had reached his normal size.

The temple of the Sun Emperor was truly a splendid sight. Everything was made from gold or marble and there was no equal in any European courts to this splendor. Walking on this golden floor felt wrong since it was way too precious to be stepped on but Richard had no other choice than to walk on it.

He walked for a minute or two in a golden tunnel when he reached a golden curtain. What was behind of that curtain? Richard held his breath and listened if he would hear sounds or voices.

Then he heard a soft female voice saying:

- Richard.

He stepped away from the curtain that voice was somehow familiar to him, where he had heard it?

- Richard, come to me, the voice asked with honeyed tone.

Richard approached the curtain and with a single movement he pulled it away.

He had ended up to a large chamber which was lushly decorated with fine Persian carpets, velvet pillows and beautiful tapestries. The chamber was crowded with women who all had the seductive appearance of Jane Shore. When Richard had pulled the curtain away all of the women looked at him and plain lust was shining from their eyes. They were all dressed in simple white underskirt which didn't cover much of their womanly charms.

Richard had never liked about Jane Shore and he had always wondered why all the men did fall for her but now he knew the reason. How he would get pass by them?

Then on the other side of this harem like chamber was a staircase of marble which seemed to lead to the throne room of the Emperor. He needed to get to those stairs.

- Let me pass, he said bluntly and started to walk through the chamber.

The women did let him go through but the way across the chamber was long.

It was awful torture to him to walk pass all those women of golden hair and big blue eyes.

Seductive scent of musk floated heavily in the air and it made him dizzy.

He felt how he was softly touched by all those gentle alabaster arms, the chamber started to spin around him and he wasn't sure anymore where he was going.

Was he going strait to the stairs or to a bed of Jane Shore?

Richard wasn't sure any more about his direction, his eyes were blurred by this intensive seduction which was tormenting his heart. To be so openly desired was completely new experience to him, of course he had had his fair chare of adoration but it had always been easy to him to turn his gaze away but now it was impossible. No matter where he laid his eyes upon there was the beautiful face of Jane Shore's.

Now he was surrounded and his legs refused to move. He was captured by tender touches and soft voices which all told him to lie down and enjoy.

Even pure pain would have been more endurable comparing to this tenderness which was so hard to resist.

Through his mind's eye he was able to see what he or those women really wanted.

He wasn't sure if those visions were his own but they were far too close to the desires of his captors.

He saw himself making love with all those women who yearned for his attention.

He was being separated from his clothing although he begged them to stop.

They poured wine onto his skin and then they all liked it away. They made him moan in ecstasy when they flirted at him, arousing him. The desire burned his skin like Hellfire and for moment he was sure that he had lowered himself into Hell.

Richard had thought that he could have had the power to resist but his heart had betrayed him. It was as easily to be bribed as any the officials of his who were ready to turn their coats as soon as they got the opportunity.

He cursed his manly weakness of lust which was now destroying him. He needed to get out but he was being held tightly by those loving arms.

He was not like Ned who had never missed a chance to get himself new bedmate whenever he had wanted.

Jane had been Ned's personal favorite and when he had died Richard had made her to pay for her crimes.

Remembering this made the women to pull back from him.

They also seemed to have remembered the public humiliation which Richard had laid upon of them.

The agonizing memory twisted their pretty faces and they released Richard from their grip.

Burning tears were running down on their cheeks and their soft voices turned harsh with sorrow.

- Why didn't you love us, they kept on asking.

Richard was about to reply but then all the women vanished into thin air.

Had he killed them, no this was just an illusion, a trick of his sick mind.

He had never harmed a woman, not even the killer of his father and brother Edmund although he had wished a bad ending to Margaret of Anjou.

Shore had needed to have a lesson from her sins but seeing her tears had made him to be disadvantaged. Richard hated to see a crying woman, it always made him to grow soft when he needed to be strong. He had no desire to harm any woman, he had seen the suffering on his mother's face when the Lancastrian soldiers had raped her when his father had abandoned them.

Where his strong father had been when he had needed him most?

Richard made a deep sigh and got onto his feet once again.

There was no time for lose, he was late already.

The way to the stairs was now clear and there was no one to stop him anymore.

Richard climbed the stairs one at the time and soon he reached the top.

He was now in a great throne room of the Sun Emperor which was the largest room he had ever seen.

Dark space and bright stars lingered on the other side of this Greek styled temple and at the very end of the room sat the Emperor himself.

- Who goes there, asked the Emperor and Richard recognized his voice.

That was Ned who was sitting on the Emperor's seat.

He was dressed in golden toga and a golden corona lay upon his dark hair.

- It's me Ned, Dickon, Richard said and stepped closer to his brother.

He felt himself awfully tiny comparing to his gigantic brother. He had always been under him in every sense which had sometimes bothered him greatly.

- Oh, my brother what are you doing in here?

- I came to ask help from you.

- What do you need?

- They said that you could help me out from this place.

- Who said so?

- Edmund.

- Why do you want to leave from here? This place is wondrous and you could be or do anything you want.

- No Ned, this is not my place to be I want to get back to the reality.

- Very well then if you insist. It's your funeral.

- Thank you my good lord.


	8. Cathedral of weeping angels

Ned leaned forward on his seat and tapped heavily the floor with his long scepter.

The floor shook and a black hole appeared right front of Richard's feet.

- This is the fastest way back to the reality but I must warn you dear brother. There is one final test before returning, the exit is guarded by weeping angels and their tears are like boiling oil so be careful, Ned warned him.

Richard looked at the bottomless pit which seemed to wait for him to jump in.

He needed to be strong if he wanted to get back from this madness. He took couple steps back and then ran towards the pit, making a huge leap when he reached the very edge of the solid floor.

- Good luck my brother, said Ned the darkness swallowed Richard.

The fall seemed endless, minutes were stretched into hours and hours grew into days.

He felt himself weightless and he wasn't sure that was he going up or down.

White bright mites flew pass by him towards opposite direction which was completely absurd, they should have been flowing down like him.

Or was he going down, perhaps he was going up but his body was somehow abnormally upside down.

Cold wind embraced him and he fell though a vast emptiness.

Finally his legs reached the end of the fall and he landed softly to a stone floor.

Darkness disappeared and Richard found himself from a ruined cathedral which had lost its roof.

Only the walls and few columns were still bravely standing like silently daring the corruptive force which had torn down most of the building.

He walked towards the altar and his steps echoed loudly on the bare walls.

Eventually he reached an oval shaped doorway which didn't seem to lead anywhere but on the both side of it was a stone statue of a cherub and they were both crying.

Richard looked more closely at the faces of those two little figures and realized that those cherubs had the faces of Ned's sons.

Black steaming tears were falling down under their closed eyelids and their mouths had twisted on to unnatural grimace of ultimate sadness.

Richard looked at the doorway but he didn't dare to walk though it. He decided to perform a small test and he picked up a loose stone from the floor. Then he threw it towards the open doorway but as soon as the stone reached the door it exploded like the gunpowder.

It was a good thing that he threw the stone before entering the door, it would have been a certain death sentence for him.

Suddenly the stony figures came to life and they looked at Richard with their black eyes.

- You'll not pass uncle Gloucester, said the cherub which resembled Edward.

- Please Edward let me pass, Richard asked.

- No uncle I'll do the same to you which you did to my poor uncle Rivers.

- Please Edward you don't understand that I had no other choice.

- Yes I do understand uncle, he was on your way and you had to eliminate him, like you always do to those poor souls which are standing on your way.

- Edward, please listen to me.

- No uncle you listen to me. You ripped my beloved family and guardian away from me so give me one reason why should I let you pass?

Stubbornness was glowing in Edward's eyes. He was clearly angry at his uncle Richard.

- I did it for the sake of England, Richard tried to explain.

- For England uncle? And what value did England have when you had robbed her from her rightful lord?

- You were far too young to rule.

- And I suppose you are the right person to judge me?

- Your father made me to be your protector.

- And you failed miserably to protect us from yourself.

Richard sighed deeply, he wasn't going anywhere while Edward held the grudge against him.

- Very well then Edward, you can blame and hate me as much as you want but the thing is that I don't care. What is done it is done and I cannot make it to be undone and although you refuse to understand the reason of the causes it had to be done.

- Don't try to fool me uncle with your fine words.

- I'm not trying to fool you I just tell you the truth. Your father's death was a shock to us all and I know what you are going through, I was only eight years old when I lost my own sire and if you don't let me pass your cousin Edward is going to face the same tragedy. He has done nothing to hurt you.

- Don't play coy with me uncle!

- I'm not playing at anything I'm just asking that are you willing to rob a father from his babes, since you know perfectly well how much it hurts you. You are not a bad person Edward and we both know it.

Silence fell between of them for a moment when Edward was thinking about his options.

- Ned if I may say, started Dickon but Edward silenced him.

- Silence Dickon, you are allowed to speak when I allow you to speak!

- Don't shout at your brother Edward. I am truly sorry that things had to go as they did and if I could give you anything to heal your anger I certainly would but the only thing which I can offer is the option to do the right thing, Richard said calmly.

He was ready to face whatever sentence Edward would lay upon him. If he would have to die he would die like a king.

- I really want to make you suffer, uncle, spat Edward.

- You are very free to hurt me as much as you wish but don't hurt my children. They are guiltless to my crimes.

- Please Ned let him pass, prayed Dickon.

Pure anger was flaring in Edward's eyes but then it died out.

He knew all too well how it felt to lose a father.

- Very well then uncle, I'll let you go but not because of you but your children.

- Thank you so much Edward. Your father would be very proud of you.

- Don't push your luck uncle, go before I'll change my mind.

Richard stepped through the doorway and he opened his eyes.

He was back at his own chamber and good old Doctor Hobbes was leaning over him.

- Your grace, thank goodness you woke, he cried for joy.

Richard sat up in his bed and he still felt bit nauseous.

- Where is that boy who served me that drink, he asked.

- He's being held at the castle's prison, replied Francis who was standing beside of Richard's bed.

Richard turned his gaze at him and saw also Catesby and Ratcliffe.

They were all standing there right at his bedside still worried expressions on their faces.

- Thank you so much my good friends, for all the help you gave me, Richard thanked.


End file.
